Published in 2013, silent film fans may wonder why
he or she should purchase Eve Golden's bio of John Gilbert when
said fan already owns and has read Leatrice Gilbert Fountain's
wonderful bio of her dad, "Dark Star: The Meteoric Rise and
Eclipse of Jon Gilbert" (St. Martin's Press, 1985). Well,
the main reason is that the two books don't compete with one another
-- they complement each other. Would that silent movie fans were
fortunate enough to have more biographies written by the children
of the stellar parents (of course, some stars's memories are probably
better off without the reminisces of their offspring). These books
offer us a unique perspective
of our idols of silence. However, gifted and talented writers
such as Eve Golden who have spent many years immersed in silent
movie history have a diverse knowledge of the bigger picture of
that all too short era and can relate an actor's life to the historical
perspective that surrounds them, typically providing us an alternate
perspective that enlarges our knowledge and understanding of the
star. Golden does just that, and she does it in her usual engaging
and accurate style. For example, Gilbert's drinking problems are
well-known, however, Golden recounts how the scandals of the early
twenties (Ince's death, the Arbuckle trials, the William Desmond
Taylor murder, etc.) were rocking the movie colony causing Gilbert's
drinking and general lifestyle to be a concern for his bosses,
although he did avoid scandal (Golden points out that Gilbert
was not a drug user, choosing, instead, alcohol as his stimulant).
She also recounts the evolution of MGM and parallels Gilbert's
life with this evolution and his eventual assimilation into the
studio. While giving absorbing accounts of the star's famous love
affair with Garbo and his ongoing battles with Louis B. Mayer,
she also clears up many of the legends that have been passed down
inaccurately over the years about such events such as the supposed
wedding that Garbo failed to show up for (a double wedding with
King Vidor and Eleanor Boardman that has been recounted so many
times in books over the years), as well as the legend that Gilbert
decked Louis B. Mayer when he suggested Gilbert not marry Garbo
but sleep with her instead. The reader will appreciate Golden's
thoroughness in quoting the different stars' and friends' memories
of these and other events in Gilbert's life and how they many
times conflict with one another. In Golden's assessments (she
is no doubt a Gilbert fan), she takes a common sense approach
to weeding out the grain from the chaff. Golden certainly offers
the best account of Gilbert's four marriages and his downward
spiral during the thirties. Regarding legends, she also doesn't
explain his cinematic demise with a simple "he had a high
pitched voice that wasn't suited to talkies," or that "Louis
B. Mayer sabotaged his career." No, Golden wisely takes a
more in-depth look at the events and circumstances of his life
during these years and notes a variety of factors that contributed
to his failure to make it in movies after so many silent successes.
Golden's bio paints a vivid picture of a successful, adored, talented
and driven star whose end was all too sad mainly due to his own
personal demons. Get it! Read it!